These recipes are easy to make and packed full of healthy ingredients with a good mix of spice and flavor. By adding chia seeds to your main meals, you pack in extra nutrients that are essential to keep your family healthy and full of energy.
Sometimes all you really need is one pot to make a delicious meal. One-pot recipes are fantastic for making more of what you need and getting two or three days out of one recipe. Just refrigerate it and reheat it the next day — it’ll probably taste even better because the ingredients have had a chance to mingle longer.
Braised Lamb Shanks with Cannellini Beans
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2-1/2 hours
Yield: 4 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 large lamb shanks
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 cup red wine
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch of rosemary
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons whole chia seeds
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven, heat the oil and sauté the onion for 5 minutes.
Add the lamb shanks and cook for 5 minutes, until the lamb is browned on all sides. Remove the lamb shanks with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the carrots and celery to the dish, and sauté the vegetables for another 5 minutes.
Add the garlic to the dish, and cook for another 1 minute.
Return the lamb shanks to the dish. Add the beans, tomatoes, and wine to the dish and stir well.
Add to the dish the orange zest and juice, bay leaves, rosemary, and vegetable stock and stir well. Bring to a boil, and then cover the dish and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
Turn the lamb shanks over in the stock, and return to the oven for another 1-1/2 hours, until the lamb is tender.
Remove the bay leaf, add the chia, season with salt and pepper, and stir well to combine the seeds evenly throughout the dish.
Garnish with parsley and serve hot from the oven.
Per serving: Calories 597 (From Fat 254); Fat 28g (Saturated 9g); Cholesterol 157mg; Sodium 916mg; Carbohydrate 34g (Dietary Fiber 11g); Protein 50g.
Creamy Chia Chicken
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
1/2 cup diced bacon pieces, uncooked
8 pieces of chicken on the bone (breasts, thighs, drumsticks)
2 tablespoon milled chia seeds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
2 large leeks
1 pound new potatoes
6 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large ovenproof casserole dish or Dutch oven over high heat, add the bacon pieces. Cook for about 1 minute, until the fat starts to come out of the bacon.
Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally until lightly browned.
Sprinkle the chia over the chicken and stir well.
Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the dish to incorporate all the juices from the cooking.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Wash and trim the leeks and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Wash the potatoes and add to the dish with the leeks.
Add the sour cream and Dijon mustard to the dish and return to a simmer.
Cover the dish, lower the heat, and gently simmer for another 15 minutes.
Place the dish in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove the dish from the oven, add the tarragon, and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
Per serving: Calories 242 (From Fat 60); Fat 7g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 81mg; Sodium 349mg; Carbohydrate 14g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 30g.
Serve freshly steamed greens such as broccoli or snap peas on the side of this dish to add more nutrients.